March 27
“I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.’” (Romans 12:1)
This is a principle that is so key, yet so difficult. Presenting myself as a sacrifice to God, truly yielding my will, my goals and aspirations, my desires, my hopes and dreams, and my very life to Him, to do as He pleases, to use or not use as He sees fit, is one of the greatest struggles I have faced.
I want to prosper, I want to succeed, I want to go hear and there, I want to do this and that, I want to have certain things and experience certain things. I want to live a long and fruitful life. I want to experience God’s blessings on my life. But what if God has different plans, or what if God’s plans to give me those things include much pain and suffering, or what if God my desires don’t match up with His will or His word? What then? Who wins and who loses? How do I resolve this conflict? What happens if I don’t resolve this conflict and keep pushing my agenda?
Here are some questions to help us determine whether or not we have fully given ourselves over to God as a living sacrifice:
- Do I desire anything that God has clearly said in His Word is sin?
- Do the goals I have in life match with scriptural goals?
- Will the things I am pursuing and pouring my life into stand the test of fire in the judgment day (1 Corinthians 3:12-15)?
- Do I seek to know and do God’s will on a regular basis?
- Am I willing to give up my dreams and aspirations if I was convinced God wanted me to?
- Is there anything in my life or anything I am pursuing that I cannot or will not do without?
- Could I die tomorrow with confidence that I have lived my life for Him?
- What would I do differently if I knew I only had one year to live?
- Do I resent God or feel bitterness toward God for anything that has happened in my life?
- Do I do anything that I know the Lord would not have me do?
- Do I quench or grieve the Spirit?
- Do I do anything that is contrary to His Word?
- Do I make excuses for myself where I know I am not doing what the scripture says to do?
- Can I honestly say that I am dying to myself daily, taking up my cross, and following Christ?
- Can I honestly say that I am diligently putting to death the deeds of the flesh?
- Do I do anything that Jesus would not do?
- Can I honestly say that doing the Lord’s will is my only desire?
Tomorrow we will look at more aspects of what it means to be a sacrifice to God.